Chocolate Orange Pudding

When I looked into an alternative to Christmas Pudding I found there are quite a few things non-traditionalists look for in a dessert.

I like a challenge, so here’s the tick list I worked to when developing this recipe:

1. No mixed peel or pippy raisins ✓ 
2. No need to steam for 3 hours in a busy kitchen ✓ 
3. No need to prepare 2 months in advance ✓ 
4. No suet ✓ 
5. Quick to cook – microwave or conventional oven ✓
6. Child friendly ✓
7. No alcohol ✓

I’m quietly pleased with the result.

My aim was that it would still look like a traditional Christmas Pudding so you don’t feel like you are missing out on tradition – heck you can even flame it with liqueur if you fancy.

Tip: You can even use some spare chocolate orange for the melting chocolate chunks…if there is such a thing as ‘spare’ chocolate orange.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 80ml double cream
• 100g plain chocolate – chopped
• 120g soft light brown sugar
• 50g soft butter
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• 120g plain flour
• 60g white breadcrumbs
• 150g milk chocolate chips or some chopped chocolate orange
• Zest of 1 small orange

Put the cream, plain chocolate in a small bowl, heat in the microwave on 600w for 50-60 seconds, until just melted. Stir gently then allow to cool while you make the rest of the mix.

In a larger bowl beat the butter, sugar, eggs, zest and flour together until creamy.

Pour the chocolate/cream into the mixture and mix well, add the breadcrumbs, chocolate/chocolate orange chips and stir.

In the microwave: Butter a microwaveable pudding bowl (approx 2 pt). Fill with the mixture then loosely cover and microwave at 600w for 6 minutes.

In the conventional oven: Butter a (850ml/1.5pt) pudding tin or basin and put a circle of greaseproof paper in the base, fill with the mixture and bake at 160°C 30-35 minutes, until a skewer comes out almost clean.

Let the pudding stand for 5 minutes then turn out before serving with cream, chocolate sauce and clementine/satsuma segments.

To flame: heat a few tablespoons of orange liqueur or brandy in a pan until warm, switch of the lights then ignite with a match and carefully pour over the pudding.

This recipe was originally written for and published on the Centerparcs blog.